Homework is a word from the past that gets thrown around a lot, but it seems to have lost its meaning through time. For older generations, it may be a positive. For others of the younger generation, it is a 4-letter word MULTIPLIED BY 2. It’s used as a threat, a warning, a punishment and it often means solitary confinement.
In days gone by, homework in its purest form was a privilege and joy. In a time when education was hard to come by, the student who learned a new skill would gladly take it home to practice at the kitchen table with a snack and a glass of milk. In those days, learning truly opened up the world. There are stories of young people walking miles to and from school and then spending hours reading at home to practice and learn for themselves from whatever books were available to them. Now that’s homework!
Homework in those days was practising skills. It was going to a vocational school far away from home to learn skills for a specific job to better the student’s position and finances. It was common for young people at the age of 17 or 18, to travel to a city school to become a stenographer, an accountant, a nurse/doctor or a teacher. Parents invested money and risked much to send their child to a higher education centre. This level of education was hard to get in those times and it was not taken lightly by those who could receive it. They often returned to the community to apply what they had learned so far away to the family business or to improve the condition of their own hometown. Homework for those distance education students was hours spent typing on a manual typewriter. Typists in the early days were male because only male fingers were strong enough to press the keys. Homework was reading and recording terms and definitions for use in specific fields of medicine, teaching and accounting. Homework was the student’s time alone to understand record and memorize the important knowledge for their field of work. The books and the instructors were only available at these schools so the student had to make good use of the time spent there. This homework was necessary and crucial to a pass for a certificate or a degree and especially a vocation.
Homework has changed from those early beginnings to what it is today. I am a firm believer in the necessity of homework in its purest form --------- time for individual practice, individual thinking, work completion and work enhancement and creativity. In order to do this effectively, a child needs a calm familiar place, a regular daily time set and all the materials at hand. Along with this the child NEEDS a supportive adult nearby who sees this homework as a priority in their own life as well as in the life of their child.
The students who struggle in a classroom and are just learning a concept don’t yet have the thinking skills, the organization skills or the reading and writing skills to “do the homework”. These skills are not genetic. They are learned at home and at school by repetition over time. These kids who struggle in some area of learning are already stressed out in the classroom situation. If they are having trouble there, they will also have trouble learning at home.
Homework raises stress levels in parents too. I hear it all the time. Homework is a bad word to those parents, let alone the child. It’s a fighting word. The biggest complaint I hear is, “Why don’t they give them this work in 6 hours at school? “ At the end of a day, even well-intentioned parents are tired and need some relax time with their children rather than more stress.
After a long day, the lesson concept may be vague or forgotten. The confusion, the arguing, the fighting between parent and child begins. The family stress escalates. The message to the child is: “If my parents can’t do this homework, then how in the world am I supposed to be able to do this?” The issue then becomes bigger when the parent gets upset with the the teacher and the school.
I am hearing from parents of grade 1 children who are stressed out with homework ----reading Library books. Some already have a negative attitude. By grade 7 and 8 there is the necessity to set aside a time and place in order to focus and learn independently. This is the time when homework, in its purest form, is crucial to academic success in the learning years to come. Here are some handy tips that can help you make homework a positive habit in your family.
Homework Tips
1. Set up a comfortable place for you and your child to use. It should be away from distractions and high traffic areas. It could be a bedroom or the dining room or even a hallway. Reading, quiz questions and discussions can even be done in the car on the way to somewhere.
2. Decide which adult will work with the child. Usually one parent can relate better to one child. Even teachers have difficulty working with their own children so don’t feel intimidated. If you’re a single parent you’re the one or you could ask for relief from a family member or neighbor.
3. Establish a safe supportive relationship in a comfortable place for a positive experience of learning at home. By making it comfortable for the adult, it becomes comfortable for the child.
4. Set a time that fits YOUR schedule. By doing this you are less stressed and able to bring calmness and clarity and focus on the work to be done. Your attitude and demeanor at this time speaks volumes to your child.
5. Remember! The person with the Math skill may not be the best match to help the child with Math. The best match is the most regulated person who can read the instructions, give the best explanation and be there to encourage and correct and remain calm and consistent.
6. Make sure that you and your child have both had food and water and a break from the workday before tackling homework. Do it as early in the evening as possible to avoid the before bed battles. Avoid the last minute Sunday night battle by setting time on Friday evening or early Saturday.
7. If there seems to be too much homework, contact the teacher to find out his/her purpose for homework.
8. If the instructions are hard to follow contact the teacher. Ask for the instructions and purpose of this work for yourself. Things are different from when you went to school. Don’t be intimidated. A parent who is a grade 4 teacher may well have difficulty helping with grade 8 Math.
9. If your child is forgetting and avoiding homework, contact the teacher to let him/her know. Identify learning problems to get the help the child needs at school as soon as possible. Avoidance can be a signal for learning problems or it can signal a need for better communication between home and school to head off a procrastination problem.
10. If homework becomes a battle in your house, hire a tutor. The homework battle is not worth risking the relationship.
Aletha McArthur,
In days gone by, homework in its purest form was a privilege and joy. In a time when education was hard to come by, the student who learned a new skill would gladly take it home to practice at the kitchen table with a snack and a glass of milk. In those days, learning truly opened up the world. There are stories of young people walking miles to and from school and then spending hours reading at home to practice and learn for themselves from whatever books were available to them. Now that’s homework!
Homework in those days was practising skills. It was going to a vocational school far away from home to learn skills for a specific job to better the student’s position and finances. It was common for young people at the age of 17 or 18, to travel to a city school to become a stenographer, an accountant, a nurse/doctor or a teacher. Parents invested money and risked much to send their child to a higher education centre. This level of education was hard to get in those times and it was not taken lightly by those who could receive it. They often returned to the community to apply what they had learned so far away to the family business or to improve the condition of their own hometown. Homework for those distance education students was hours spent typing on a manual typewriter. Typists in the early days were male because only male fingers were strong enough to press the keys. Homework was reading and recording terms and definitions for use in specific fields of medicine, teaching and accounting. Homework was the student’s time alone to understand record and memorize the important knowledge for their field of work. The books and the instructors were only available at these schools so the student had to make good use of the time spent there. This homework was necessary and crucial to a pass for a certificate or a degree and especially a vocation.
Homework has changed from those early beginnings to what it is today. I am a firm believer in the necessity of homework in its purest form --------- time for individual practice, individual thinking, work completion and work enhancement and creativity. In order to do this effectively, a child needs a calm familiar place, a regular daily time set and all the materials at hand. Along with this the child NEEDS a supportive adult nearby who sees this homework as a priority in their own life as well as in the life of their child.
The students who struggle in a classroom and are just learning a concept don’t yet have the thinking skills, the organization skills or the reading and writing skills to “do the homework”. These skills are not genetic. They are learned at home and at school by repetition over time. These kids who struggle in some area of learning are already stressed out in the classroom situation. If they are having trouble there, they will also have trouble learning at home.
Homework raises stress levels in parents too. I hear it all the time. Homework is a bad word to those parents, let alone the child. It’s a fighting word. The biggest complaint I hear is, “Why don’t they give them this work in 6 hours at school? “ At the end of a day, even well-intentioned parents are tired and need some relax time with their children rather than more stress.
After a long day, the lesson concept may be vague or forgotten. The confusion, the arguing, the fighting between parent and child begins. The family stress escalates. The message to the child is: “If my parents can’t do this homework, then how in the world am I supposed to be able to do this?” The issue then becomes bigger when the parent gets upset with the the teacher and the school.
I am hearing from parents of grade 1 children who are stressed out with homework ----reading Library books. Some already have a negative attitude. By grade 7 and 8 there is the necessity to set aside a time and place in order to focus and learn independently. This is the time when homework, in its purest form, is crucial to academic success in the learning years to come. Here are some handy tips that can help you make homework a positive habit in your family.
Homework Tips
1. Set up a comfortable place for you and your child to use. It should be away from distractions and high traffic areas. It could be a bedroom or the dining room or even a hallway. Reading, quiz questions and discussions can even be done in the car on the way to somewhere.
2. Decide which adult will work with the child. Usually one parent can relate better to one child. Even teachers have difficulty working with their own children so don’t feel intimidated. If you’re a single parent you’re the one or you could ask for relief from a family member or neighbor.
3. Establish a safe supportive relationship in a comfortable place for a positive experience of learning at home. By making it comfortable for the adult, it becomes comfortable for the child.
4. Set a time that fits YOUR schedule. By doing this you are less stressed and able to bring calmness and clarity and focus on the work to be done. Your attitude and demeanor at this time speaks volumes to your child.
5. Remember! The person with the Math skill may not be the best match to help the child with Math. The best match is the most regulated person who can read the instructions, give the best explanation and be there to encourage and correct and remain calm and consistent.
6. Make sure that you and your child have both had food and water and a break from the workday before tackling homework. Do it as early in the evening as possible to avoid the before bed battles. Avoid the last minute Sunday night battle by setting time on Friday evening or early Saturday.
7. If there seems to be too much homework, contact the teacher to find out his/her purpose for homework.
8. If the instructions are hard to follow contact the teacher. Ask for the instructions and purpose of this work for yourself. Things are different from when you went to school. Don’t be intimidated. A parent who is a grade 4 teacher may well have difficulty helping with grade 8 Math.
9. If your child is forgetting and avoiding homework, contact the teacher to let him/her know. Identify learning problems to get the help the child needs at school as soon as possible. Avoidance can be a signal for learning problems or it can signal a need for better communication between home and school to head off a procrastination problem.
10. If homework becomes a battle in your house, hire a tutor. The homework battle is not worth risking the relationship.
Aletha McArthur,